The neck of an electric guitar is typically secured to guitar body by means of four wood screws which extend from the back of the guitar body into the upper end of the neck of the guitar. Such an attachment not only lacks adequate strength for the rough treatment such instruments often receive, but creates tuning problems as a result of the neck frequently becoming misaligned or shifting slightly with respect to the guitar body. Even relatively slight changes in alignment of the neck with respect to the guitar body will alter the tone of the instrument. This problem often become so severe that the strings come off the fingerbroad and the instrument can not be played. In addition, when the joint between the neck and the guitar body loosens, the instrument loses sustain, i.e., the notes will not ring for as long a time. This results from the damping of the strings vibration created by the loose joint.
The present configuration of neck joints generally employed in electric guitars also renders the guitars more difficult to play in the higher registers due to the player's hand abutting the heel of the guitar body under the upper of the neck. In an attempt to provide adequate strength to the joint between the neck add the guitar body, this heel through which the securement screws pass is typically made about one inch thick thereby creating an immovable obstacle for the players hand when playing higher up on the neck.
In view of these problems resulting from configuration and construction of electrical guitars, it would be highly desireable to provide an improved means of securement for joining the neck to the guitar body. Such a joint should provide secure and positive alignment to eliminate reoccurring tuning problems, increase sustain and additionally strengthen the juncture between the neck and body while allowing the thickness of the guitar heel to be reduced. The self-aligning neck joint disclosed and claimed herein provides such a securement.